Extension Opportunities
Academic Competitions
School-based examinations test what you have learned in the classroom, but national tests assess the way you apply the knowledge and skills of a particular subject to a new information and ideas. Every year all of the core subjects offer an Australia-wide competition. Although some students enjoy finding out their rank among the participants, the real point of these competition is to challenge yourself. Every problem that you try to solve will improve the way you think about the next problem - even if you didn't get all the steps right. You can proactice these sorts of skills by doing Brainsteasers - we have lots of books of this sort at NF 793.73.
See the head teacher of each subject to find out the latest details about this year's competitions.
The UNSW Mathematics Competition [https://www.maths.unsw.edu.au/highschool/school-mathematics-competition]
The Big Science Competition [https://www.asi.edu.au/site/programs_bigscience.php];
The Australian History Competition [http://www.australianhistorycompetition.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=6&Itemid=11]
The Australian Geography Competition [http://www.geographycompetition.org.au/]
See the head teacher of each subject to find out the latest details about this year's competitions.
The UNSW Mathematics Competition [https://www.maths.unsw.edu.au/highschool/school-mathematics-competition]
The Big Science Competition [https://www.asi.edu.au/site/programs_bigscience.php];
The Australian History Competition [http://www.australianhistorycompetition.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=6&Itemid=11]
The Australian Geography Competition [http://www.geographycompetition.org.au/]
Musical Opportunities
Did you know that learning a musical instrument can make you smarter?
You may have heard of the Mozart Effect. In fact, while listening to Mozart improved IQ scores, any kind of thinking experience (including listening to music) before a test will improve your IQ. However, there is plenty of evidence that learning a musical instrument will contribute positively to intellectual development in many different ways. At Auburn Girls High School students who learned an instrument scored in the top percentile of the Naplan numeracy test in spatial recognition and mathematical patterns, far above their peers. These skills are essential to understanding algebra and higher mathematics. Fast Company, a technology and innovation company, has a well-referenced article [http://www.fastcompany.com/3022942/work-smart/the-surprising-science-behind-what-music-does-to-our-brains] which the myths from the facts about music and cognitive development. Of most relevance are points 5 and 6 which explain the precise effects of learning an instrument on cognitive development.
Many university studies show that people who learn music or have learned music in the past have a bigger brain. The corpus collosum, the part of the brain responsible for communicating between the left and right brain, is better developed in musicians. Apart from teaching you discipline (practicing every day) and teamwork (playing with other people), learning music links the mathematical part of your brain (playing the actual notes) with the creative part of your brain (adding expression and emotion to the notes), and links your auditory processing abilities (listening) with your motor skills (movement). There is also growing evidence that learning a musical instrument improves memory and listening skills in any subject.
Read more about how music can make you smarter at Curiosity.com [http://curiosity.discovery.com/question/playing-musical-instrument-smarter], Parenting Science [http://www.parentingscience.com/music-and-intelligence.html], If you are academically-inclined, follow the hyperlinks in these articles to the actual scientific studies and see for yourself how beneficial learning an instrument can be.
At Riverside you can learn an instrument, join the orchestra or choir and even take part in school musicals. See Ms Wang i nthe Music staff room for more information.
You may have heard of the Mozart Effect. In fact, while listening to Mozart improved IQ scores, any kind of thinking experience (including listening to music) before a test will improve your IQ. However, there is plenty of evidence that learning a musical instrument will contribute positively to intellectual development in many different ways. At Auburn Girls High School students who learned an instrument scored in the top percentile of the Naplan numeracy test in spatial recognition and mathematical patterns, far above their peers. These skills are essential to understanding algebra and higher mathematics. Fast Company, a technology and innovation company, has a well-referenced article [http://www.fastcompany.com/3022942/work-smart/the-surprising-science-behind-what-music-does-to-our-brains] which the myths from the facts about music and cognitive development. Of most relevance are points 5 and 6 which explain the precise effects of learning an instrument on cognitive development.
Many university studies show that people who learn music or have learned music in the past have a bigger brain. The corpus collosum, the part of the brain responsible for communicating between the left and right brain, is better developed in musicians. Apart from teaching you discipline (practicing every day) and teamwork (playing with other people), learning music links the mathematical part of your brain (playing the actual notes) with the creative part of your brain (adding expression and emotion to the notes), and links your auditory processing abilities (listening) with your motor skills (movement). There is also growing evidence that learning a musical instrument improves memory and listening skills in any subject.
Read more about how music can make you smarter at Curiosity.com [http://curiosity.discovery.com/question/playing-musical-instrument-smarter], Parenting Science [http://www.parentingscience.com/music-and-intelligence.html], If you are academically-inclined, follow the hyperlinks in these articles to the actual scientific studies and see for yourself how beneficial learning an instrument can be.
At Riverside you can learn an instrument, join the orchestra or choir and even take part in school musicals. See Ms Wang i nthe Music staff room for more information.
Science Extension
Project-based science events and competitions are a chance to to develop your scientific thinking in a new direction. Coming up with a hypothesis and testing it is one of the best ways to develop as a scientist. Whether or not you win the actual competition, you will have developed a sophisticated understanding of the ways scientists work and learned planning and time-management skills which can be used in every subject.
In fact, science-fairs and practical research projects are one of the best ways to link numeracy (mathematical thinking such as data-gathering, tables, charts and statistical analysis), literacy (reading and writing skills such as background research, writing up your experiment and creating a speech about it) and problem-solving (critical literacy - the ability to correctly analyses data and make links between facts and processes) in a single project. Bringing different subjects together in one real-world task (teachers call it a rich task) is one of the very best ways of learning, whether you do this at school in the classroom or by yourself or with friends at home.
Read more about the benefits of participating in Science Fair-type competitions at Science made Simple [http://www.sciencemadesimple.com/science_fairs_parents.html] or hear from a long-time science fair participator at Science Fair Girl's blog [http://scifairgirl.blogspot.com.au/2011/09/value-of-science-fair.html]
Murder under the Microscope [http://www.microscope.edu.au/index.aspx]
Sleek Geeks Eureka Prize [http://sydney.edu.au/science/outreach/eureka/]
Science Olympiad [https://www.asi.edu.au/site/programs_aso.php]
Other projects you can get involved in are:
Streamwatch [http://www.streamwatch.org.au/cms/about_streamwatch/]
Another way to extend yourself in science is to read scientific journals. The school library subscribes to Scientriffic and Helix andScience Illustrated. National Geographic and Time Magazine also often have articles about the latest scientific discoveries and innovations. You can also read many adult science journals online. Try: Cosmos Magazine [http://cosmosmagazine.com/], New Scientist [http://www.newscientist.com/] and Scientific American [http://www.scientificamerican.com/]. Keep look out for science programmes on television such as Catalyst [http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/]
In fact, science-fairs and practical research projects are one of the best ways to link numeracy (mathematical thinking such as data-gathering, tables, charts and statistical analysis), literacy (reading and writing skills such as background research, writing up your experiment and creating a speech about it) and problem-solving (critical literacy - the ability to correctly analyses data and make links between facts and processes) in a single project. Bringing different subjects together in one real-world task (teachers call it a rich task) is one of the very best ways of learning, whether you do this at school in the classroom or by yourself or with friends at home.
Read more about the benefits of participating in Science Fair-type competitions at Science made Simple [http://www.sciencemadesimple.com/science_fairs_parents.html] or hear from a long-time science fair participator at Science Fair Girl's blog [http://scifairgirl.blogspot.com.au/2011/09/value-of-science-fair.html]
Murder under the Microscope [http://www.microscope.edu.au/index.aspx]
Sleek Geeks Eureka Prize [http://sydney.edu.au/science/outreach/eureka/]
Science Olympiad [https://www.asi.edu.au/site/programs_aso.php]
Other projects you can get involved in are:
Streamwatch [http://www.streamwatch.org.au/cms/about_streamwatch/]
Another way to extend yourself in science is to read scientific journals. The school library subscribes to Scientriffic and Helix andScience Illustrated. National Geographic and Time Magazine also often have articles about the latest scientific discoveries and innovations. You can also read many adult science journals online. Try: Cosmos Magazine [http://cosmosmagazine.com/], New Scientist [http://www.newscientist.com/] and Scientific American [http://www.scientificamerican.com/]. Keep look out for science programmes on television such as Catalyst [http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/]
Writing for bigger audiences
We have a wide range of extension activities for writers, coordinated through The Write Stuff (see Ms Carmyn for the Edmodo group code). You will have the opportunity to participate in:
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